Cheapest Insurance for a Honda Ridgeline in San Diego

Have you had enough of sacrificing to pay high car insurance rates every month? You are no different than many other California consumers.

Unbelievable but true according to a study nearly 70% of drivers have remained with the same car insurance company for at least the last four years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never compared rates with other companies. The average driver in San Diego can save hundreds of dollars each year by just shopping around, but they don’t know how much savings they would realize if they switch to a new company.

Consumers have so many insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to adequately compare rates for Honda Ridgeline insurance in San Diego.

Consumers should take time to compare rates once or twice a year since rates change regularly. Just because you had the best premium rates on Honda Ridgeline insurance in San Diego six months ago you can probably find a better price now. There is lot of inaccurate information about Ridgeline insurance on the web, but you can learn some of the best techniques to save money.

Keep in mind that comparing all the rates in your area provides better odds of finding a lower rate. Not every company allows you to get online price quotes, so it’s important to also get price estimates from those companies as well.

The following companies are our best choices to provide quotes in San Diego, CA. If several companies are displayed, we suggest you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase premiums substantially.

Age, gender, and Honda Ridgeline insurance

The example below shows the comparison of Honda Ridgeline insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The data is based on no claims or violations, full coverage, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Do you need full coverage?

The example below examines Honda Ridgeline yearly insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premiums assume no claims or violations, $100 deductibles, single female driver, and no discounts are applied.

When to eliminate full coverage

There is no specific rule of when to stop paying for physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Honda Ridgeline replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $2,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $200 a year for your policy with full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not recommended. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.

Auto insurance is an important decision

Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in San Diego, insuring your vehicle may be mandatory for several reasons.

First, the majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific level of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if your Ridgeline has a loan, it’s most likely the lender will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Honda for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher premium.

Third, insurance safeguards your Honda Ridgeline and your assets. It will also cover medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your Honda gets damaged, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of insuring your Ridgeline more than cancel out the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $855 a year so we recommend shopping around at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.

How You Can Control Honda Ridgeline Insurance Prices

Lots of factors are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, although some other factors are not as apparent like your continuous coverage or your commute time.

The itemized list below are some of the items companies use to determine your rates.

Marriage equates to better prices – Your spouse may earn you lower rates on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse translates into being more financially stable and insurance companies reward insureds because married couples file fewer claims.

Cut prices and deter theft – Buying a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.

What’s your car’s crash test rating? – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Highly rated vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts which can mean better rates for you. If your Honda Ridgeline is rated at a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may pay a lower rate.

A auto insurance lapse can increase rates – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to increase your rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could result in fines or a revoked license.

Little extras can really add up – There are quite a few extra add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t diligent. Things like roadside assistance, death and dismemberment, and extra equipment coverage are some examples. The coverages may be enticing initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.

High coverage deductibles equal low rates – Comp and collision deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a stationary object, animal collisions, or theft of your vehicle. The more damage repair cost you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.

Affordable San Diego car insurance rates with discounts

Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there could be significant discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts will apply at the time of purchase, but a few need to be requested specifically in order for you to get them. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

• Paperless Signup – A handful of larger companies may give you up to $50 for signing up on the internet.
• Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save a little off the medical payments premium.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying a new car instead of a used Ridgeline can be considerably cheaper since newer models have better safety ratings.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less could be rewarded with better car insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
• Good Grades Discount – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up until you turn 25.

One thing to note about discounts is that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.

If you would like to see a list of companies that offer discounts in California, click here to view.

Shop online but buy locally

Some people would prefer to go talk to an agent and that is a smart decision The best thing about getting free rate quotes online is you can get cheap auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent.

After completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is emailed to local insurance agents that can provide free San Diego auto insurance quotes for your coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. You can most likely find cheaper rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, feel free to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.

Finding the right company should include more criteria than just a cheap price quote. Any good agent in San Diego should know the answers to these questions.

• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
• Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
• How experienced are they in personal risk management?
• Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
• Which family members are covered?
• Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
• What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?

Pick the best auto insurance agent in San Diego for you

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that you can choose from. Insurance agencies in San Diego can either be independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Exclusive insurance agents work for only one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agencies are highly trained on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.

The following are San Diego exclusive agencies who may provide you with rate quotes.

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Independent Insurance Agents

Agents in the independent channel are not restricted to one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and find you cheaper rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, you will want to compare quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.

Listed below are San Diego independent insurance agencies willing to provide comparison quotes.

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Don’t give up on cheap rates

Discount Honda Ridgeline insurance in San Diego is available online as well as from independent agents in San Diego, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller companies sell through local independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for Honda Ridgeline insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

For more information, link through to the resources below:

• Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for Lyft Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable San Diego Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 21? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Grand Caravan in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for 19 Year Olds in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Highlander in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
• Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)